Ultrasonic Multipoint Waveguide Temperature Sensor for Divertor Diagnostics in Fusion Power Plants

Diagnosing long pulse and steady-state operation in a Fusion Power Plant (FPP) presents significant challenges due to the extreme environment, which includes high neutron irradiation, increased heat and particle flux, thermomechanical stresses, and relativistic effects. Conventional diagnostics such as Langmuir probes, infrared imaging, and thermocouples are not suitable due to the extreme conditions, including higher heat and particle flux than those in ITER. Langmuir probes are expected to have a short lifespan due to heavy erosion, infrared imaging system windows cannot withstand neutron irradiation and thermal expansion, and thermocouples suffer from material transmutation. To address this critical need, X-wave Innovations, Inc. (XII), in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), proposes to develop an ultrasonic multipoint waveguide temperature sensor (UMWTS) for divertor diagnostics in Fusion Power Plants. For this effort, XII and INL will leverage our experience in design and development in ultrasonic waveguide sensors and radiation-resilient magnetostrictive transducers to ensure its accuracy and long operation life to determining the strike point and x-point positions of plasma in fusion power plants. The success of the proposed effort will result in a novel sensor system for reliable monitoring of harsh conditions in core environments. Our main objective of the Phase I program is to prototype and demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed UMWTS system. Based upon XII’s experience and success in this area, our Phase I efforts will focus on the design and prototyping of the proposed ultrasonic waveguide sensor to enable efficient generation and detection of ultrasonic signals, and data interpretation/reporting of temperatures at multi-points of the waveguide with selective reflectors. By the end of Phase I, we will demonstrate the feasibility of the developed waveguide sensor system for multi-point temperature measurements. The proposed UMWTS system aims to provide accurate temperature profile measurements for the fusion power plant (FPP) divertor diagnostics and plasma control. Apart from its direct use in FPP, the proposed UMWTS system can find may applications in nuclear industry in general, as well as other commercial sectors. With all the advantages of ultrasonic thermometry, the UMWTS allows multiple temperature at different location along the length of a waveguide, and due to its design and choice of materials it can offer long term operation in nuclear and harsh conditions for extended period of time. X-wave Innovations, Inc. proposes to develop a novel ultrasonic multipoint temperature sensor that is critical for improving the fusion power plant efficiency and operation safety.